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Issue #1 Now Available

Issue number one of TUX is now available. Subscribers, you can download this issue here or simply follow the Download TUX button on the right to download the current issue. If you're not yet a TUX subscriber, consider subscribing today for instant access to this issue and many more!

This is definitly a great magazine. To my understanding is the first digital magazine across the web. In addition, it is available at no cost to anybody, making its content educate people of all classes around the globe. This magazine is an inspiration because it makes me want to give back to the Linux community. This is when you know that something is good, when there is no money involved and yet it is an elegant work of art and an amazing source of information.

I strongly suggest newbies and experts to read, support and contribute to this great magazine that initiated a movement of its own.

What i would like to see is an article on how to setup a retail (brick and mortar) store using Linux.
4 terminals 1 server 1 backoffice terminal and 1 PowerBook (because marketing just "has to use Mac").
Any takers?

I'm happy to have finally found a magazine that deals with tips and tricks and offers tutorials for desktop Linux users. I have been using Mandrake Linux for about four years now as a replacement for Microsoft Windows. I use it as a desktop for a personal computer.
I have a subscription to Linux Magazine which I am going to let expire. It's fun to read about all the Gee Whiz things in there, but the fact is that I will most probably not be making a beowolf cluster in my closet any time soon.
One of the things I especially like is that I can bring up your magazine in xpdf and actually click around on applications and see for myself what you are talking about in an article.
I was concerned that the PDF format would be a bit painful to read. I was pleasantly surprised to see what a great job you did with it. It's almost like reading a slick pages magazine.
I'm looking forward to seeing what articles will be in future issues. It looks to me like you guys got it under control so I won't bust your chops about what wasn't in the first issue (cough) samba (cough). From other comments I see here, it seems many of us are hungry (perhaps impatiant) for more.
Keep up the good work and Thanks for a great magazine. I'll be sure to recommend it to all my IRC buddies.

The paragraph about having to mount the file needs to be more detailed for a beginner. The following paragraph is ambiguous as to whether the "delete" button is the one on the camera or the computer. It leaves open the possibilty that I might delete the photos that I had just downloaded to the computer!
thanks

What a great issue! I've been using Linux as a near-full-time Windows replacement for about a year, and I learned something new in every single article. Great job, and welcome! I'd sure like to be able to buy this in printed hardcopy mode, though!
-Keith

I am new to Linux. I like it, but is a huge challenge for me. Thank You for all the tips in Tux Magazine. One of the items on my wish list is that Tux Magazine be totally published with Linux tools and have it say so in the magazine. I think this would add a lot of credibility to Tux Magazine and Linux too.

I love the format and the content! One of the "problems" with the Linux/open source community is that it's difficult to get more in-depth descriptions for many of the available applications. I really enjoyed your articles on KAudioCreator, amarok and KPilot just to learn what they do!

I have been reading your magazine since the beginning. Although I do not posted frequently on your website, I like to help new Linux users discover the power of Linux. Even sometimes helping them understand simple commands. One of the big issues I have with any "new" Linux user magazine is the inability to understand what the new Linux user needs to understand and comprehend.

Some new Linux users do not even understand how the mount command works, while some do not understand the basics of the /dev/ directory. Other things such as "Properly reading and understanding a man file" are very important but usually not covered. Most Linux users hate the command line, but none of them understand why the command line is so important.

What I am trying to say is that I would like to write for Tux Magazine, I believe I have the skills, ability and drive to help the new Linux user community. Thank you for reading this, and if you are a Linux user and have questions about Linux or any of the above comments please feel free to post a reply and I will try to help.

Very good first issue. I've been using Linux since '96, and this type of magazine has been a long time coming. This is exactly what Linux needs: a magazine for newbies, free, and in electronic form. The PDF fullscreen format is very easy to read, and the articles are interesting, even for more advanced users. Congratulations.

I like the fact that this magazine really drives home the fact that Linux is no longer just a geekOS which relies on being able to tinker with things under the hood via the shell...even my Dad could read this and feel more accepted into the world of Linux.
one thing though: why is the magazine so slanted towards KDE? While KDE is a nice desktop manager I use Gnome and would like to see more articles about Gnome.
also, some gentle introductions for 'mum&dad' to some of the more popular distros would be nice too: Mandrake, SuSE, Red Hat, Yellow Dog, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Debian, DamnSmallLinux, etc. Or perhaps a feature article on one distro per issue.
Anyway, keep up the great work and hope to read more about Gnome in future issues!
danke!

I just read most of you magazine. I have been using Linux for over a year and have fear moving beyond my confort zone mostly because everything was all command line or just appeared to complex for my limmited understanding. Your magazine was easy to read and uncluttered and not loaded down with ads.

Just wanted to say that I am really enjoying this ezine. If this is an example of what to expect, I will gladly pay for a printed version, especially if you guys get Marcel back!

Unlike the others, it only took a few minutes to download it using NetZero over dial up. It is easily viewable using Linux and Windows.

I am a KDE users so I like the KDE articles. I am one of those that feels KDE is the very best WM/DE out there. However, I also use Gnome, WindowMaker and Fluxbox on different laptops and PC's. So I would like to see articles on using GTK2/Gnome2 apps.

Perhaps some of the readers can contribue articles on the topics from the first two issues, but using Gnome2 and/or GTK2 applications.

For instance, I don't use KaudioCreator, I use RipperX, even on my KDE box. AmaroK is my choice for playing .mp3s, but Beep Media Player and XMMS or not lacking by any means. I just like the look and feel of AmaroK over anything to include Juk.

Finally, how about spotlight one distribution a month? Not just the big boys and girls, but the smaller ones as well. Kanotix, Vector Linux, Puppy Linux, Arch, Mepis, Ubuntu and others all deserve a look at.

I don't really like the fact that everything seems to be centered around KDE in this magazine. I have ever only run GNOME, which in my opinion is better, but maybe not in your eyes. Maybe you could consider splitting the next issue up, like half GNOME and half KDE.

Vi vs. Emacs is commonly called a "religious war" among geeks. Both are very powerful editors and each one has advantages and disadvantages. I picked vi over 20 years ago and that 20+ years of experience makes it the best choice for me today.

TUX, and the KDE vs. Gnome issue is very different. Most TUX readers will have little or no Linux experience. I agree that Linux is all about choice and that KDE and Gnome are both very valid choices. Our issue with "a balance" is that for someone new, the result can be increased confusion.

Virtually all applications programs are desktop-agnostic. Telling someone how to use the Gimp which was developed with the Gnome tools is the same no matter what desktop you have. Thus, most articles will be of interest no matter what desktop they have selected.

In articles where the desktop matters, our policy is quite simple. We present KDE as the default. But, if it is possible to present Gnome differences in a non-confusing manner, we will. This will generally mean a different section within the article or in a sidebar.

Why did we pick KDE over Gnome? Our research showed us that the majority of new to Linux users were more comfortable with KDE than Gnome. As our goal is to make the transition to Linux as easy as possible for the new user, KDE was the best fit.

OK first great mag but I agree with the other GNOME users there should be GNOME
articals. Fedora Core, Ubuntu, and many others use GNOME by default. To install
KDE apps could cause redundency and the "look-n-feel isn't cohesive between KDE and
GNOME. I have tried to compile KDE apps under Fedora and loads of dependencies issuses
arose. The new user isn't going to hunt down all relying apps to make it work. Apt-get
w/ Synaptic works for some things. But as an example I tried to get the Album Art downloader for KDE it installed all the things I needed but I got a segmentation fault when
I ran it. You can't justify using KDE because it is what new users are used to.
If we whent with that logic then Linux would have to crash on the user because that is
what the user is used to in Windows. Oh also we should cram spyware down there throat
because that is what windows users are used to. (BTW Just kidding)But that is my point
People go to a different OS with an expected learing curve not because it looks the same
You miss on good point my girlfriend made. You can customise GNOME to look like Luna(Windows XP) or Aqua(MacOS X) hell I can make GNOME look like the NeXT OS or
IRIX window manager. Or I can make it look like somthing out of a movie.

Now I am just bableing but the last thing I will say is Cover GNOME one month then KDE
the fallowing month and keep rotating them. Or cover 3 apps in KDE 3 in GNOME and
2 or 3 tips on Desktop customization on GNOME and KDE
TTFN

I would have to agree, I have basically switched my family to Linux and as I use Gnome as my primary WM they to have taken it up. Though mostly customised to look like kde with the one bar at the bottom, easier to switch from windows that way it seems.

Though I have educated them in all of the every day programs to use, and how some come with other window managers etc. For example my father uses K3B to burn backups from Gnome and my sister will play KDE games. I really wouldn't mind them finding out more, learning to love Linux/FOSS and what it has to offer like I have. This includes finding out all of the advanced features of Gnome.

I recently moved out to attend uni so this mag will be great to continue to show them new programs to play with, and how to use them without phoning me up all the time. So thanks and please think about adding comments on Gnome - I would be willing (released under Creative Commons) to write articles if required. (Email addy attached) :)

Also I’d like to note that for new Linux users that this mag seems to be aiming for it would be a bad idea to bog them down with to many WMs. Probably exploring three would be good but anything more would just start to confuse, as is my experience. And with Gnome have the file manager with the Use_As_Browser option ticked, other wise you have that stupid new window rubbish by default - which people I have converted have hated with a huge passion.

Above I pointed out reasons why I personally want Gnome support though in defence of the person you are replying to I would like to point out that GNU/Linux is all about choice. I don't believe limiting users to one version of some thing is a good idea, so even if they haven't tried the other WM doesn't mean that others should 'force' (maybe suggest would fit better?) that user to accept the mainstream program.

Ubuntu comes with Gnome as default, so does Debian testing while Mandrake and SUSE come with KDE. I have in the last two months moved seven people to Ubuntu, four to Debian, three to MDK, and two to SUSE. Plus those who I help every day at Uni who are using a real mix of distros. And from that extended use (of the latest versions of the two WMs) I have found that Gnome and KDE both have great uses, though Gnome is less bloated and prone to fewer errors/crashes thus for my needs as a desktop WM better. Many people agree, in fact KDE people will agree but fall back on the argument that KDE is getting better all the time in those two areas - which is very true. So I think there should be equal representation no matter which you feel personally is better. They are the two biggest and best suited to desktops and new users, closely followed by xfce.

So maybe the slant is wrong? Or there shouldn't be one? Why is there a need to take sides? Is the suggestion of 50/50 so bad?

I agree competely. I am new to Linux but not to computers. I started with Dos 3.3 on a 286 (when that was considered cutting edge PC!). I have grown a very strong distain for micro$oft over the years and XP pushed me over the edge. I decided to switch to Linux. The learning curve has been longer than I antisipated and am looking for all the help I can get. I though this new online magazine would fill the bill, but I to was dissapointed that they are geared up for KDE. I did a lot of research before deciding on a distro because I did not want to get into something that would turn into another micro$oft type proprietary nightmare. I shied away from Mandrake and Redhat for that reason and I feel KDE could turn that way in time. I like GNOME and am learning how to get through it. I looked at KDE anyway but did not like the "feel" of it. I would like to see more on GNOME also.

Well, it took me a while to download Issue 1 (even over the company's 6Mbps cable connection), but it was worth it. I'm glad to see there's finally a magazine for non-guru's again (I was really disappointed to see Maximum Linux go). Hopefully the electronic format will give the magazine a chance to grow its audience. . . it could always go print later, I suppose.

Somewhat disappointed with the KDE-centric nature of the first issue. I hope other DE's and windowmanagers will be covered. Articles on basic configuration would be nice as, in my experience, distro defaults are inadequate. But, maybe Linux is becoming a user's OS and less of an adventure. I would like to see a few articles on how to begin contributing to FLOSS projects, both code and documentation, articles describing the author's experience. Beginner, getting started articles on TeX and some of the other great CLI apps interspersed with GUI apps would be nice.

Is there a place to go to see the thrust of future issues. It might be fun to pick from the future and write an article.

Just read a bit of Tux and I'm already very impressed. The layout of the PDF is excellent and the two articles I read were very good (and precisely what I've been looking for). I'm saving the rest for my trip back to Florida in a few days.

Side note: I was also impressed with how well Tux read in Kpdf, looks great full screen on my laptop!

I think it's great, the level is perfect for the desktop user, and I look forward to the continuation of the GIMP columns. Hopefully, there will be more "ongoing" columns on the most common software e.g., KDE/Gnome and OpenOffice.

I had no idea Marcel is not going to be the editor-in-chief. That is a disappointment indeed, but I'll reserve my judgment and see how his replacement does.

I agree with one of the other posters that the images/screenshots are hard to see in an otherwise excellent layout. Links to larger images would be nice.

First off, I have to thank SSC for the opportunity that they gave me (and a whole bunch of other people) to write an article for "Tux Magazine". I never expected to be in a position where my writings looked so official and would be read by people who wanted to read them. Up to now, I've stuck primarily to usenet, and I never expected to write for a magazine.

I was disappointed to learn that "Tux Magazine" would not be printed, but would be distributed free over the internet. To me, this changed "Tux" from a legitimate, professionally published magazine to just another webzine. However, the quality of the formatting, and the apparent popularity of the magazine have caused me to reconsider my opinion. While I'm still not convinced that a free, internet-distributed, no-advertising magazine is as professional as a professional, printed, paid-subscription-based magazine with real advertisers supporting it, I don't believe that "Tux" is "just another webzine" either.

I was also disappointed to learn that Marcel Gagne would not be the Editor-in-Chief of "Tux Magazine" after all. I do not know the new editor, although I have no doubt that he will do a good job for SSC. However, I do know Marcel Gagne, both through his writing, and through his editorial guidance while I was writing my article for Issue 1 of "Tux". I understand that the publishing business (like most other businesses) holds no guarantees for contractors and outsiders, but it does bother me that Marcel was dumped so unceremoniously from the magazine. I know that he worked hard for "Tux", and while I don't know the circumstances or details of his release, I'm sure that it could not have been because of a lack of quality of his work or a failure in the professionalism of his actions. Marcel has been a gentleman, and has not taken to public debate on this, although he has had both the opportunity and the means to do so, and I will not press this further. I just wanted to express my disappointment at his being replaced, for what ever reason, as editor of the magazine.

What bothers me now is the actual formatting of the magazine. Perhaps I just don't remember how to use PDF viewers properly, but I just can't get used to reading the magazine in it's current layout. It's just too wide, and not detailed enough.

On Linux, I can resize my viewer so that it doesn't take all of my screen real estate, but this means that I have to scroll right and left to read the articles. On MSWindows, I don't have a choice: it takes over the entire screen to the detriment of the other windows I have open at the time. Would it be possible to have "Tux Magazine" formatted such that it is less than a full screen in proportion? I'd prefer something that gives me access to (say) 10% of my screen without having to scroll the PDF side to side or top to bottom.

Also, I find myself forgetting that it's a PDF, and I 'click' on the pictures and illustrations in order to get the 'enlarged' versions. I know that there are no enlarged versions of the pictures, so this is a futile action on my part. But, the pictures just aren't detailed enough to read properly on a screen. Would it be possible to either enhance the details of the illustrations, or provide some additional downloadable content that carries more detailed pictures?

I also find it inconvenient to read articles in 'random access' mode. I rarely read a magazine sequentially from page 1 to the end. I usually start at the table of contents, jump to the first article I want to read, jump to the 2nd article, etc. The PDF layout doesn't seem to permit me this random access, and it gets tiresome jumping all the way back to the start, then scrolling forward to the TOC, just to find the link to the next article I want to read. Would it be possible to include, at the end of each article, a link back to the table of contents?

Finally, like one of the other subscribers who's left comments, I'd like to be able to read the magazine offline. Could you provide alternate formats, so that it can be printed and read sans computer?

In Windows press <esc> after opening the issue. This brings back the toolbar, etc., and you can resize the window. With the pages sidebar, you can quickly click page 2 (TOC) and then click the article you want to read. With the access to the toolbar you can change magnification to page width, or increase magnification to view the images (they remain blurred, however). Rotate the page before printing gets the entire page on paper.

I have just read about 11 pages of the first issue. I am no expert but still a bit new at Linux, even for using it for a few years now. I think I will learn some interesting things fro Tux Magazine.

Like others, I am disappointed that Marcel Gagné has seemed to have disappeared from Tux Magazine web site and any direct questions have been avoided by Tux staff. . I did notice that he is listed as the editor in the first edition. His own web site has undergone a change in appearance.

Marcel's presence and writing was the reason I decided subscribe to Tux Magazine.

I was willing to pay a premium price for a printed version. Dragging out the laptop to read the magazine wasn't on my list of plusses. It's really a burden in airports and on airplanes.
What happened to Marcel? He was a key factor in my switch to Linux and my company's switch to open source. It would be nice to see his familiar and trusted name reappear.
However, I will make every attempt to read the magazine.

Very nice mag but.... I'm on dial up and after ten minutes I had even't got the front page loaded :-((((( It will be better no doubt when it is sent as an attachment. Is it not possible to get it this way for the first issue too?

I concur but could you make it more 'palm friendly' ie with a 'tabbed' format so my palm os doesn't coordinates it into a very confusing (but funny) gibberish. Why do alot of my 'adobe acrobat for palm os' articles do this?